Underwave 2012

Soft launched in North America in mid-2011, the full collection of Underwave apparel and water wear will be available at your local dealer in 2012. Underwave’s North American distributor Nicolas Ostermann explains why his distribution company is bringing the brand to the US market and highlights some of the key products he is most excited about.

Underwave is a European accessory brand that is being fully introduced to the North American market in 2012. What made you decide to bring this brand in?

The current accessories market for kiteboarding has not seen a lot of innovations in the past few years compared with the kite or board market. There is room for a new and innovative brand that offers top-notch quality and truly innovative products along the way at reasonable retail pricing. We believe Underwave has the potential to do just that with a complete collection that offers a multitude of gear choices built specifically for the kiteboarding market. From harnesses to a full line of wetsuits, vests, booties, and beach wear, the designer behind the collection is a veteran of building great technical apparel and this was a critical point for us. Having Underwave is a nice addition and complements the F-One collection we have distributing in the North American market since 2006.

Photo Giles Calvet

The company’s new Vacuum Imperial harness is an industry first. Tell us a bit more about it.

Yes, the VACUST harness is totally new for 2012 and is truly a custom fit harness using patented technology that sucks air out of an airtight pocket. The more air that is sucked out, the harder the shape will become. The load distribution is optimal and harness comfort is being redefined. It does not get more custom than that.

Aside from the vacuum technology, why would you recommend a rider choose the regular Imperial, Sultan, or Argo harnesses instead?

Want More? Get the rest plus info on 2012 gear from 18 more brands in the TKB 2012 Buyer’s Guide.

Choose your version of the 2012 Buyer’s Guide below. You can get a .pdf file for you to view on the device of your choice or you can also download the Buyer’s Guide directly to your mobile device through The Kiteboarder App.